The people of Umuguma community in Owerri West LGA of Imo State on Wednesday protested what they described as government encroachment of their land without adequate compensation or negotiation.
The protests which started early Wednesday morning at the Portharcourt road office of the Owerri Capital Department Authority (OCDA) restricted all human and vehicular movement within the premises.
Speaking to newsmen, the leader of the protesters which comprises mostly of the elderly men and youths, Chief Moore Ekeh maintained that Umuguma land is not part of the central market as proposed by the government. He noted that the central market partly belong to Avu and partly Nekede insisting that nothing concerns Umuguma with the market.
Chief Moore who is the “Nze ka Nze 1 of Nkwesi Ancient kingdom insists that the government through the OCDA should leave Umuguma land alone as no compensation or negotiation was done with the community.
“There is nothing that concerns Umuguma land with the central market. We only heard that the government had negotiated with Avu and Nekede communities. The government should please leave our land for our younger ones. We have given enough to the government”, he stated.
Also speaking in the same vein, a community leader from the area, High Chief Engr Victor Osuagwu opined that Umuguma as a community had sacrificed and given much to the government, pleading that the government should leave Umuguma land.
Some of the placards carried by the community bore several inscriptions such as: “Umuguma is not part of the central market”, Umuguma has given enough to government”, “Stop encroaching on Umuguma land OCDA”, “OCDA leave our land alone” etc
Our reporter gathered that the government is forcefully taking over the Umuguma land located near the central market. A visit by our reporter revealed the destruction of the properties belonging to Umuguma people by the OCDA.
